Investigators Get Officers' Records in Probe of Justine Damond Shooting

Justine Damond, an Australian woman who was shot dead by police in Minneapolis Saturday.Stephen Govel Photography

Breaking News Emails

Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

Aug. 5, 2017, 2:05 AM GMT / Updated Aug. 5, 2017, 2:05 AM GMT

By Phil Helsel

Minnesota investigators have obtained training records for a Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an Australian woman who called 911 for help, in a shooting that raised questions in both countries.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety submitted a warrant for training and personnel records for Officer Mohamed Noor and the other police officer who was present when Noor shot Justine Ruszczyk, 40, late July 15, according to court documents filed Friday.

Ruszczyk, a native of Sydney, had already taken the last name of her fiancé, Damond. She called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home, and Noor fired from the passenger seat of a police vehicle after she approached the driver's side window, investigators have said.

The shooting prompted questions about why neither officer’s body cameras were turned on, and how a woman who called 911 for help ended up fatally shot by police. Minneapolis’ police chief, Janeé Harteau, resigned nearly a week after the incident.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, said in court documents it needed search warrants to obtain the records due to state data privacy laws. It said other evidence has been voluntarily turned over by Minneapolis police. A flash drive and two DVDs containing training and personnel data were obtained, according to the documents.

A memorial service will be held by members of the Ruszczyk and Damond families on Friday in Minneapolis, the families said in a statement. She was to be married to her fiancé, Don Damond, in August.